A 60-year-old woman has allegedly had her gold chain snatched by two unidentified men who approached her and her husband under the pretext of providing a family card in Borhanuddin upazila of Bhola district.
The incident took place at around 6pm on Tuesday, 20 October, in a deserted area of the Power Plant Road in Ward 8 of Kutuba Union. The incident has raised concerns among local residents, particularly over the alleged use of government welfare benefits as a pretext for theft.
The victim, Pulma Rani Dey, lives near the college field in Ward 6 of Borhanuddin municipality. She was returning home on foot with her husband after attending a performance of traditional Bengali ballad singing at Anir Babaji Temple on Power Plant Road.
According to local sources, two unidentified young men riding a motorcycle began following the couple as they made their way home. At one point, the men stopped them in an isolated stretch of Power Plant Road near Kutuba Jame Mosque.
The suspects reportedly began talking about the distribution of family cards, a form of government assistance. During the conversation, one of the men allegedly grabbed the gold chain from around Dey’s neck. The pair then fled the scene on their motorcycle, according to the couple’s account.
The stolen chain weighed approximately one bhori, a traditional unit of gold measurement equivalent to around 11.66 grams. Its estimated monetary value has not been established. There has also been no confirmation that the suspects or the motorcycle they used have been identified.
Similar incidents reported elsewhere in Bhola
The alleged use of family card benefits as a pretext to steal jewellery is not an isolated concern in the district.
A similar incident was previously reported in Deula Union of Borhanuddin, where a woman was allegedly deprived of her gold chain after being approached on the pretext of having her photograph taken for a family card. Comparable incidents have also been reported in Daulatkhan upazila and Bhola Sadar, according to available information.
The recurrence of such allegations has heightened concerns among residents about personal safety and the possibility of criminals exploiting people’s expectations of receiving government assistance.
Local residents have called for those responsible to be identified and brought to justice. They have also stressed the need to raise public awareness about scams involving claims of government welfare support.
Residents have been advised to verify the identities of anyone claiming to represent an official programme before sharing personal information or agreeing to meet them. Particular caution is recommended when strangers request photographs, seek personal documents or attempt to lead people to isolated locations.
Police yet to receive written complaint
Contacted about the incident, Ashrab Ali, officer-in-charge of Borhanuddin Police Station, said no written complaint had been submitted to the police as of the time of his statement.
He added that police remained active in maintaining law and order.
In the absence of a formal complaint, the status of any investigation into the incident remains unclear. Local residents, however, have urged the authorities to examine the reported incidents and take appropriate action to prevent further cases.
Verifying the identity of individuals claiming to offer government benefits, refusing to hand over valuables to strangers and promptly informing the police about suspicious activity can help reduce the risk of such crimes. Residents are also calling for effective measures to ensure that the names of public welfare programmes are not exploited to deceive vulnerable people.
